Die-hard World of Warcraft players have been following the evolution of the game's next expansion, Cataclysm like a sports fanatic tracking every roster adjustment of their favorite team. Even in off season, every move counts, and even though Cataclysm isn't here yet (nor has a release date been set, although 2010 remains an optimistic hope), the expansion is such a transformation to the game that many players are keeping it more in mind than what is currently accessible in game.

The truth is that Cataclysm is a total game changer, unlike anything that's come before. While WoW's previous expansions, The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King extended the game world, level cap, and storylines, Cataclysm is essentially a complete do-over. It's going to affect everyone, from the most casual player to the most devoted. Add in Blizzard's interest in making more of the game accessible to casual gamers, and there are definitely a few things casual players should be aware of when it comes to the new expansion. With that in mind, here are a few "don't miss" pieces that the upcoming Cataclysm will bring.

New Level Cap: 85 - Unlike the previous expansions, Cataclysm will only add five more levels to the end-game. We've also been told that those levels will be tougher to achieve, making players really earn their way through them and making each level feel like its own achievement. Reports from the current Beta haven't been able to testify to this yet, as they currently enjoy full rested experience bonuses, but I suspect the race for the die-hard players to reach end-level will be hard. Thankfully, I'm a more casual player who intends to enjoy the ride instead of racing to the new cap.

New Races! - Two new races are being added to the game, offering each faction one new addition. Alliance players are getting Worgen, which will no doubt be plagued by tons of werewolf and Twilight inspired names the second the expansion goes live. Horde players will see Goblins join their faction, bringing a real money-hungry element to the faction. Don't worry about the existing Worgen and Goblins suddenly changing sides - these new races serve as independent factions - especially important with so many cities run by the current Goblins in game.

Fly Through the Old World - Players have enjoyed flying from zone to zone in Outland and Northrend thanks to the previous expansions, and there's always been a little disappointment that came with returning to the old continents and remaining land-bound. That ends with Cataclysm. The old continents are being reworked so that flight will be possible on all continents. So far the level cap required for old-world flight hasn't been announced, but we do know it won't serve as a money sink like Cold-Weather Flying in Northrend.

The Land Transformed - With the reworking of zones for flight, many of the old places have been changed. The guiding story behind this is complicated and filled with lore, but the overarching idea is that an ancient dragon named Deathwing has returned to Azeroth, which creates the titular Cataclysm. Familiar ports of call may be destroyed entirely, some zones have changed sides as far as which faction dominates over them, and storylines that have been in play since WoW was created have been advanced. Personally, I think the hard-core devotees are missing out on an opportunity in all of their studies of the changes. I look forward to logging in and seeing many of these alterations to Azeroth first-hand, allowing the wonder of the game changes to be a new experience instead of something I've seen a million pictures of before the game even launched.

Classic Instances Return with a Vengeance - This is probably one of my favorite elements of the upcoming expansion. As players make their way through the game, they outlevel a lot of the game's dungeon-dives. In Wrath of the Lich King, the developers got smart and offered end-level heroic versions of the dungeons, so players could continue to experience these parts of the game even after they had passed the appropriate level. That same treatment is being given to classic low-level instances, including one of my all-time favorites: The Deadmines. I look forward to challenging runs through the dungeon at end-level instead of rapidly passing by the low-level instance and only experiencing it as a powerful player running through an easy area.

But that's Not All... - While those are the highlights of the upcoming expansion, those certainly aren't all that Cataclysm is bringing with it. New content for the higher levels, a new storyline following the return of Deathwing, guild development, and a new skill called Archaeology that will help flesh the game world out. Of course, as always with something in development, these things are subject to change, but most of the items I've highlighted here are pretty definite at this point.